Wildflower Spot – July 2017 John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society - Baptisia tinctoria tolerate drought and poor soils. Found in ev ery county in Virginia, the range extends from Past-president of the John Clayton southern Maine to Georgia and Tennessee. YellowChapter, VNPS Wild Indigo By Helen Hamilton, The showy flowers attract butterflies and other- pollinators, and the leaves host the caterpillars of the Wild Indigo Duskywing and Silver-spot Bright yellow pea-shaped flowers cover this ted Skipper. The foliage is pest resistant, and shrubby wildflower from April through August. distasteful to deer and rabbits. Yellow Wild The mound of foliage grows 2-3 feet tall on Indigo is a member of the Pea Family, and as many-branched stems carrying silvery green a legume, the roots contain bacteria that fix 3-parted leaves. After- nitrogen, enriching the the flowers fade they soils where they grow. are replaced by in This is a good choice - flated seedpods that for a wildlife or cottage are attractive in indoor garden or a dry mead arrangements. ow. The yellow flowers look wonderful whenAscle - Yellow Wild Indigo is piasplanted tuberosa with orange - easy to grow in average, Butterfly Weed ( well-drained soil, in ), and pur full sun or light shade.- ple and white asters. Young plants may not flower vigorous- Native Americans used ly since they expend the plant for various much energy devel medicinal purposes; oping strong taproots. studies have shown During the third year the extract stimulates the upper half of the wasthe immune used by system.early plant will produce more Yellow Wild Indigo - blossoms. Most native Indigofera Baptisia plants do not show good development for three Americans as a substitute for true indigotinctoria (ge is years: “first they sleep, then they creep, then nus ) in making dyes. v comes they leap.” Once established, Yellow Wild Indigo from the Greek word for “dye” and is a durable and long-lived perennial and will derived from the Latin word for “dye.” Photo: Yellow Baptisia tinctoria Wild Indigo ( ) taken by Helen Hamilton For more information about native plants visit www.vnps.org..